Acoustics



Dec. 7 1926.

M. C. ROSENBLATT ACOUSTICS Filed June 8, 1926 INVENTOH MaLm/fce G fiosrenjmff 5y nu/Mi WITNESS Patented Dec. 7, 192.6. f

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Application filed June s, 1926. seriaimi. iiasss,

This invention relates acoustics, per: taining particularly to devices" which not only absorb sonorous vibrations, but also damp out uncontrollablmvibrations produced by the action of sound upon parts Considered for acoustic treatment. I

- Certain of the problems of the acoustic treatment of buildings are made-more difficult by the fact that certain areas of thesurfaces of the hall, auditorium, etc, respond to different sonorous vibrations or setsof vibrations, that isto varying fre-- quencies or wave lengths of sound. 'Becauseof this co-vibrationsfa're produced which cannot be predetermined nor controlled. These co-vibrations reinforce, amplify, 'or

[distort the sound which impinges upon the surface, and in thecase of complex sounds. modify the sounds by reinforcing or dlstorting certain components of the complex 'sound, such as c'ertam overtones.

Where this co-vibration' or resonance ex-.

ists, inasmuch as it cannot be predetermined during the design -of the building, or con trolled during construction, it is desirable to eliminate it entirely, especially in a situa- 7 tion where acoustical treatment is necessary toireduce reverberatiom'or-to correct any other acoustical defect.

If one attempted to analyze this detri-j mental resonance for any particular area of the surface of a room, etc., which may possibly covibrate with the source of sound, one might write the equation of vibration of the area thus: I

' d s ds M dt +Os -Q 7 Where M is the mass, F, the frictional force, C isQthe elasticity, and s is displacement from the position of equi ibrium. If the frequency of the co-vibrating part is fixed and'is 1 Zr 7 then the maximum amplitude of the part. if various frequencies make up the sounding source,will. occur when asound is received for which where 3; equals maximum amplitude. If

board as a unit is setup, a

there are a seriesof such co-vibrating parts of varlous frequenc1es and a sound 0 amplitude will occur, on the co-vibrating part in which,

' It is therefore evident that the resonance.

' defined by theabove terms is indeterminate because for practical reasons all of the functions of the above formulae and terms are indeterminate, none of the variables being knownnor obtainable on practical working- 1 materials that a building. Since resonance is but rarely advanta go to make up the interior of geous .in'the adjustment'of acoustics in an I au'dltorium', and since uncontrolled. res'oname is always harmful where other acoustic defects are in existence that'are about .to be corrected, it is 'entirelywise, as previously noted, to eliminate resonance entirely, 'so that the acoustic problem may be predetermined.

There are a number of porouscellular artificial boards formed of waste and other materials that have utility in the absorption of sound waves impinging thereagainst, One such board such as insulite, has an ab-- sorption factor of .31. That is, it absorbs almost one third of the energy of the sound waves incident. upon it. Attempts have been made to use such boards for acoustic treat ments, by placing sections thereof. against. the .areas to be acoustically treated. Al-

though the results should, seemingly, be. p

satisfactory, yet frequent y they are not. The reason 'being, that though the board is fairly rigid andbut'slightly flexible, and has a desirable factor of absorption, yet it i may respond to 'anunknown pitch or par ticular sonorous vibratio'n, and give out covibration's or resonance of itself, and further when imposed upon a giyen area, it may I transmit a vibration to thesurfa'ce behind it,.due to the wave len ths of. sound inci- 1 dent upon it and 'the'entire structure, wheree *bva disadvantageous covibration of both "t e surface or area and the superimposed l I ll1- Among the objects of this invention are; to rovide an acoustic treatment of high efliciency; to provide an acoustic treatment effective without regard to the unknown responsiveness of the area to be treated; to provide an acoustic treatment in which the ratio of absorption is high-with no enhancement of the vibratory responsiveness of the treated area or surface; to provide an acoustic material which has. a high factor of absorption and also a high efiiciency in damp-- ingvibrations; to provide an acoustic material susceptible of easyand economical attachment to a surface to be treated; to provide an acoustic material that simultaneously absorbs an appreciable percentage of the energy of the sound waves impinging against it and which alsodamp'ens the covibrations or resonance of the surface against it which it is imposed; to provide an improved acoustic treatment and material which increases the net working efliciency of the whole; to provide an acoustic treatment of high efiiciency in sound-proofing; and many other objects and advantages as will be more apparent as the description proceeds. I

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1, is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of a building to be acoustically treated,

Fig. 2, is a section therethrough,

Fig. 3, isa'perspective view of a section of the acoustic treatment according to the' preferred form of the invention, and

Fig. 4, is asection similar to Fig. 2, with the acoustic material in its operative position relative the surface or area to be treated.

Of the many acoustic defects which may exist in any building or portion thereof, such as, excess of reverberation, discreet echo, interference, loudness-deficiency and reso-, na-nceresonance is the only factor which cannot be, predetermined, it being impossible under working conditions to tell what" any given area will be responsive to, that is,

' 'ment.

the pitch, wave length or sets of waves of sonorous vibrations that will set up or stimulate co-vibration and resonance in the area cannot be predetermined. As noted the co vibration may be either a reinforcement, a distortion or a modification of the particular sonorous vibration to which the area. is responsive, and when uncontrolled, as it almost always is, it is highly undesirable.

Referring now to the drawings, a typical area for acoustic treatment is disclosed in Fig. 1, in which a section of roof is disclosed, having for instance, beams 10 and sheathing 11, the area considered for treat- Obviously this disclosure is purely illustrative and not limitative as there are many portions of structures that would serve for illustration equally well; The area 11 has an unknown, or, possibly, anonexistent vibratory rate, or responsiveness. When a section of artificial board such as will later be described is imposed upon area 11, it is found that quite independent of the sound absorptive coefficient of the board, it is probable that the area and such board will co-vibrate in response to some unknown sonorous vibration or set of vibrations, with a resultant detrimental distortion or modification of the sound, calling for relief if the building or portion thereof is to be used for its'intended purpose.

Although as is well known there are many forms of acoustic treatments, and the choice of materials is affected by the factors of the problem, but Wherever possible, such artificial board has been used heretofore despite its unreliable nature and the frequent and known instances of its inefficiency, because of its success, because of its sound absorptive property, and its pleasing appearance and decoratable nature, hasbeen torn out and replaced with another treatment of possibly greater efiiciency, but of greatly inferior est-hetic effectiveness. This latter consideration is a vital one in numerous cases.

According to-this invention, an artificial board 13, usually formedof waste cellular material, having a relatively hard finish, al-

though porous throughout, and forming a relatively cheap insulating sheathing for various purposes,'is provided. This is not laid directly upon the area 11, as in the previous practice, but is spaced therefrom by a layer 12, of some compressible, resilient fibrous material, such as felt. The board section 13, and the fibrous spacer 12 may be associated in any desired manner as by tacking or gluing to the under surface of the board a desired thickness of felt, etc., or by applying the fibrous spacing layer 12 directly to the area 11, and then superimposing the board section 13 upon the spaci layer.

11 any case the assembl comprises the area 11, a layer or strips of spacing fibrous material 12, and the external exposed board section '13. The assembly may be held in place in any desired manner, such for instance, as by nails 14, and in the assembled position the layer of felt, etc., is slightly compacted.

The finished, assembled unit, when applied, has an easily workable, relatively hard finish, which lends itself to the architectural or decorative scheme." Although in its assembly it is rather simple and can be economically applied, it is uniformly successful, and the application of the damping layer of fibrous material forms a step in an acoustic lar material in juxtaposition thereto, of alayer of resilient fibrous material in intimate and bearing relation between said surface and said layer whereby vibrations in either the layer or the surface are damped and covibration of either layer or surface is precluded. 4 k

2. The combination with a surface of potential vibratory responsiveness to be acoustically treated, of a layer of cellular yielding but relatively stifi material having a potential vibratory responsiveness and a rela tively high co-efiicient of sound absorption in. juxtaposition to said surface'and a layer of yielding material between the surface and said layer precluding undesired vibration of either the surface or the layer.

3. As an article of manufacture, arranged for association with a surface of potential vibratory responsiveness, a layer of cellular, porous but imperforate material having a high co-efiicient of sound absorption, and a damping-layer of yielding material in contact with the layer to preclude vibration thereof.

4. An acoustic material including a layer of cellular yielding, flat surfaced semi-rigid material possessed of potential vibratory responsiveness and a relatively high coefficient of sound absorption, and a sheet of vibration damping material associated therewith.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature. Y

MAURICE o. RosENBLA'rT 

